


Your Fault

by Adventures_in_Writing



Category: Red vs. Blue
Genre: M/M, Tuckington - Freeform, signing junior
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-20
Updated: 2015-09-20
Packaged: 2018-04-22 11:46:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,055
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4834148
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Adventures_in_Writing/pseuds/Adventures_in_Writing
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>If Washington loved his Dad so much, then why couldn't he see that Tucker was absolutely miserable?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Your Fault

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt from [ my Tumblr](http://an-adventure-in-writing.tumblr.com/): I am an awful person who likes Angst. Wash and Tucker get into a big fight, Tucker acts like it doesn't bother him, but young Junior -who is a smart cookie- confronts Wash saying that his dad isn't happy anymore and Wash has to face J blaming him.

The thing about being a kid is that adults think you’re stupid. Well, not necessarily stupid but too innocent to really understand ‘big people problems’.

Lavernius Tucker Junior had learned to understand adults from a young age. He learned how to tell when they were lying to you to try and make you feel better, or to just get you out of their hair. He learned how to see the difference between what their words were saying and what their expressions and movements were telling. Being mute had helped; he saw the way people interacted with each other in a different way. Words were meaningless when you couldn’t use them. Besides, actions always speak much more loudly than words and they don’t often lie, either.

Which made watching his Dad and Washington fighting so much harder.

Tucker had said that he was okay, that it was all just a misunderstanding and that Wash was forgiven, but Junior knew. He knew that his Dad was lying and Washington was a complete moron for thinking that everything was okay. Did he not notice that the smiles Tucker gave Washington didn’t quite reach his eyes the way they used to? Couldn’t he tell that the hugs he was given weren’t as tight as before? That Tucker would let Junior stay up late to play video games just so they wouldn’t have to go to bed at the same time?

If Washington loved his Dad so much, then why couldn't he see that Tucker was absolutely miserable?

The only thing that hurt more than knowing his father was unhappy was knowing that he wouldn’t be able to fix it. Junior could try every last thing he could think of and it wouldn’t work. Knowing that made him angry and upset. Junior kept those thoughts and feelings all to himself and over time they began to make him resent the other man in Tucker’s life.

—-

Junior was walking home from school one afternoon, taking the scenic route past the ice-cream parlour, when he spotted Washington. Junior was going to try and ignore him but Junior had noticed Wash was having ice cream with someone. He’d only seen Washington’s friend a few times before. He was a giant of a man, with strong arms and a face that looked mean. His eyes were kind though, Junior had noted. Sort of sad. For some reason, seeing Wash smiling with whoever it was made is blood boil. How could Washington be smiling so brightly when Tucker was at home, gloomy and sad?! He stormed up to the table outside that the pair were sitting at and Washington’s ‘friend’ noticed him first. His expression was confused and that made Washington turn around just as Junior reached the table.

“Hey J,” Wash said with a smile.

It quickly fell when he saw just how furious Junior’s expression was. His eyes were set in a steely glare, his brows were furrowed and his lips were tightly pressed together. Washington’s eyes flickered over towards his friend.

“I think maybe you should go, Maine…this seems important.”

The big man nodded once before standing, the metal chair grating loudly against the concrete. Washington waited a moment before he focused his attention on Junior.

“J?” he asked. “What’s wrong?”

He pointed furiously at Wash, prodding him in the chest for emphasis.

“Me?”

It took everything he had in him not to let his arms flail wildly as he signed. Although Wash had been signing to him for three or four years now, it had been a long time since he’d seen Junior sign something so emotively. Junior signed fiercely, his movements forceful, quick and snappy. If his expression wasn’t enough of an indicator that he was angry, his signs certainly drove the point home. Wash’s expression grew concerned as he watched Junior sign, occasionally interrupting for clarification on a sign he didn’t quite understand. Six months or more of anger and resentment poured out of the young boy in a flurry of hand movements and gestures toward both Wash and where his friend sat earlier. Junior’s left hand was open, palm facing the ground and all but slammed his right fist onto the top of his left hand. He forecfully pushed it slightly towards Wash.

“My fault?” Wash asked. “What is?”

Junior opened his right hand and brought it up to his face. He touched his thumb to his forehead, just above his right eye briefly.

“Your dad? Tucker?”

Despite his fury at Washington, his expression softened. He brought his hands to his torso and, bending his middle fingers at the knuckle, Junior brought his hands down slightly in a single movement. He should have made the movement more significant but the sadness, hurt and blame Junior conveyed in his expression and that single sign told Washington more than any of his furious signs had. Junior signed it was Wash’s fault again, but the anger that was in his signs and expression before was no longer there. For extra clarification, he signed once towards the empty chair.

It was their fault that his Dad was sad now.

Washington didn’t know what to say. He stared almost helplessly at Junior. He had no idea that Tucker had been so sad, that he was miserable and seemingly wasn’t okay. Tucker has said everything was fine so, Wash had thought it was. How was he supposed to know? Tucker hadn’t said anything. It really had been a misunderstanding though; there wasn’t anything more than friendship between Maine and himself. Wash had explained that. Seemingly, Tucker didn’t quite believe him and Junior didn’t either.

A moment later and Junior’s expression was angry again and he brought his right fist up to his chin, touching his thumb to it and brought his fist forwards an inch or so. His movement was forceful - a very resounding ‘not’. Junior then placed the tips of his right hand onto the palm of his left and moved his right hand forward from palm to fingertips twice. It took Washington a moment to recall the sign.

Forgive.

Junior turned his head away, breathing heavily once through his nose. He was done here.

“J, wait. Please…”

He shouldered his backpack and left the ice cream parlour.

“I can’t have you hating me too,” Washington said, though Junior didn’t hear him.


End file.
